Handling machines of this kind are known in various embodiments, in particular also as filling machines, labelling machines, inspection machines and as rinsers. The supply and removal of bottles or similar containers occurs inter alia by means of stars. The aforesaid containers can be used for example as bottles for liquids, for example for drinks. The containers, for example bottles, can be made of a transparent or translucent material, for example of glass or a translucent plastic, e.g. PET. It is also feasible for the containers to be made of other materials and filled with other contents.
Before the operational start, the container transfer station or the particular bottle transfer point from the one star to the other star must be set in terms of division and/or partial arc and/or height. The disadvantage here is in particular that setting procedures of this kind represent a production interruption and changes which arise during the operation of the machine, in particular in the event of heat expansion and/or a bottle format part change, are not taken into account. In particular, the heat expansion for large filler carousels (e.g. “hot and cold fillers measuring more than 3 m in diameter”) leads to the pitch circle diameter changing by a few millimetres (e.g. cold filling at 6° C. and hot filling at 90° C.). But normal “operationally induced” heating of the carousel also changes the transfer situation and requires a regular setting and re-setting of the bottle transfers which must be adapted for the operating point/temperature.
DE 10 2008 023 776 A1 discloses a handling machine for bottles or similar containers with a rotor or rotating primary star on which a plurality of handling stations are arranged. To form the bearing of the primary star with adequate stability and at reduced costs, DE 10 2008 023 776 A1 proposes that the bearing of the rotor be formed by means of a plurality of rollers arranged and distributed around the machine axis, forming the bearing arrangement. DE 10 2008 023 776 A1 discloses making, on the circumference, the bearing of the rollers outside a fixed partial area in a movable manner so that, in the event of changes in the rotor diameter due to heat expansion, e.g. with hot-filling of products and also in the event of the cleaning and/or sterilisation of the handling machine, compensation is possible. The compensation occurs by radial offset of the machine axis, i.e. the primary star. DE 10 2008 023 776 A1 further proposes that the fixed rollers be disposed on the tangent points between rotor and transport star so that these tangent points do not shift in the event of heat expansion of the rotor.